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Coralee Spratt locked up her third-straight trip to the NHSFR in Douglas after winning the state goat tying title and placing second in the breakaway competition.

Spratt ends high school career as rodeo champ

Jun 30, 2012 - By Bruce Tippets, Sports Editor

Coralee Spratt is not a stranger anymore to the National High School Finals Rodeo.

The 2012 Shoshoni High School graduate locked up her third-straight ...

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Coralee Spratt is not a stranger anymore to the National High School Finals Rodeo.
The 2012 Shoshoni High School graduate locked up her third-straight trip to the NHSFR in Douglas after winning the state goat tying title and placing second in the breakaway competition.
Spratt has now won the last two goat tying titles.
"I'm very excited to go to nationals," Spratt said.
The top four rodeo cowboys and cowgirls at the state finals in each event qualify for the NHSFR.
"It's very tough to get back at the national finals," Spratt said. "Each year, the competition gets tougher and tougher."
Spratt said the goat tying cowgirls were neck-and-neck heading into the state finals in Douglas.
"After the first round at state in goat tying there was a half of point separating the top five girls," Spratt said.
Spratt knew the pressure was on to make the top four in goat tying.
"You had to have a very good state to make it to nationals," Spratt said.
At the state finals, Spratt was clocked with a time of 8.5 seconds in the first round of state to finish fourth. She had a time of 7.7 in the second round to qualify for the state finals.
"I just tried to stay relaxed and have fun during the state finals," Spratt said.
In the finals, she put together a time of 8.1 in the finals to claim the title.
"I was very pleased with the times," Spratt said. "It's very important to get three times down because you get a lot of average points."
Spratt finished the season with 226 points for the top spot. Jaime Thompson from Whitney, Neb., placed second at 196 points. Emily Faber from Rozet was third at 186 points.
Spratt was going for a second title in the breakaway roping competition but settled for the runner-up position.
"I was a little more disappointed in the breakaway competition," Spratt said. "I didn't have three real solid runs."
Deena Norell from Meeker, Colo., won the breakaway title rolling up 208 points.
"Colorado doesn't pay back money," said Spratt about why there were cowgirls from Colorado in the Wyoming state finals rodeo. "You don't have a chance to win money. Wyoming pays back money."
Spratt finished second with 193 points, and Wheatland's Amelia McGuire was third at 182.5 points.
Future plans
The NHSFR is July 15 to July 21 in Rock Springs.
"I will go to a lot of rodeos over the Fourth of July," Spratt said. "It's kind of a long break before nationals."
Spratt will enter the 118th Lander Pioneer Days Rodeo on Tuesday and Wednesday. Start times are 6:30 p.m. The pre-sale tickets for the Lander rodeo are $7 for adults and $3 for children age 6 to 12. The tickets at the gate are $8 for adults and $4 for children.
Rodeo fans may pick up tickets at Western Supply, Lander Chamber of Commerce, Lander Mills, Lander Parks and Recreation, Lander Ace Hardware, First Interstate Bank in Lander, Main Street Car Wash, Linton's Big R and Riverton Chamber of Commerce.Spratt has signed a national letter of intent to rodeo in the fall at Colorado Northeastern in Sterling, Colo.
"I went on a lot of college visits," she said.
Spratt said Colorado Northeastern just felt like the place for her to continue her rodeo career.
"I just loved it when I went to Colorado Northeastern," she said. "They have two girls from Colorado that went to the College National Finals Rodeo. I'm really excited to go."